Method for Establishing Device-To-Device Communication

1. A method for establishing a peer to peer (P2P) communication session between a first wireless communication device and at least one other wireless communication device, the method comprising: receiving from the first wireless communication device a communication request message indicating that at least one other wireless communication device is in close proximity with the first wireless communication device; establishing a P2P group which includes the first wireless communication device and at least one other wireless communication device, based on the close proximity between the wireless communication devices; identifying respective P2P IP addresses for the first wireless communication device and the at least one other wireless communication device within the established P2P group; instructing the first wireless communication device and the at least one other wireless communication device to communicate within the established P2P group using respective P2P IP addresses; and following receipt of a response indicating acceptance by a second wireless communication device of an instruction to communicate within the established P2P group using a corresponding P2P IP address, establishing the communication session, wherein said establishing the P2P group further comprises: transmitting from a controlling network to the first wireless communication device a first request for establishing the P2P group, wherein said first request contains information about operating parameters for the P2P group; receiving a response from the first wireless communication device that includes an identifier (ID) of a preferred wireless channel for the P2P group; transmitting to a second wireless communication device a second request containing (a) the information about the operating parameters and (b) the ID of the preferred wireless channel; designating a selected wireless communication device from the established P2P group as an access point for the P2P group; and wherein the P2P group is established using the operating parameters and the preferred wireless channel, the method further comprising: retrieving from the communication request message an IP address of the first wireless communication device associated with the controlling network wherein transmitting the first request for establishing the P2P group is triggered in response to receipt of the communication request message; checking the communication request message for inclusion of a pair of P2P IP addresses to assign to participants associated with the received communication request; and in response to the received communication request message not including the pair of P2P IP addresses, setting up the P2P group without enabling a P2P communication session.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication request message is a first-type communication request message for enabling the P2P communication session and the method further comprises: in response to receipt of the first-type request message: sending, to the first wireless communication device, a first individual communication session request including a first assigned IP address and instructing the first wireless communication device to use the first assigned IP address for communicating within the P2P group; and sending, to the second wireless communication device, a second communication session request including a second assigned IP address and instructing the second wireless communication device to use the second assigned IP address for communicating within the P2P group; and following transmission of the individual communication requests: respectively enabling individual communication sessions for the first and second wireless communication devices; and providing the communication session between the first and second wireless communication devices by linking the individual communication sessions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating parameters include at least one of: (a) a close range communication technology to be used for the P2P group; (b) a P2P group identity; (c) P2P group security information; and (d) P2P IP address information for wireless communication devices that are included within the P2P group.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication device is communicatively coupled to a first controlling network and the second wireless communication device is communicatively coupled to a second controlling network that is different from the first controlling network, and the method further comprises: triggering an establishment of the P2P group and initiating the communication session by routing messages that are communicated between a first server in the first controlling network and the second wireless communication device via a second server in the second controlling network at which the second device is registered, wherein the second wireless communication device is triggered to initiate operation as a P2P client and search for a wireless communication device operating as the access point that supports the operating parameters, in order to enable a P2P communication session.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication request message is a first-type request message for enabling the P2P communication session and the method further comprises: in response to receipt of the first-type request message, providing a response message that (a) notifies the first wireless communication device that the P2P communication session was not enabled and (b) instructs the first wireless communication device to submit a second communication request message that contains respectively assigned IP addresses associated with the established P2P group; and in response to subsequently receiving the second communication request message, enabling said P2P communication session using the respectively assigned IP addresses.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication request message is a second-type request message requesting the P2P group be established, and the method further comprises: in response to receipt of the second-type request message: notifying said first wireless communication device that the P2P group has been established; and instructing the first wireless communication device to use an assigned first P2P IP address for P2P communication; in response to the P2P group being established, triggering the first wireless communication device to transmit a communication session request to the second wireless communication device that instructs the second wireless communication device to use an assigned second P2P IP address for P2P communication; and enabling the communication session for the P2P group using the assigned first P2P IP address for the first wireless communication device and the assigned second P2P IP address for the second wireless communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication request message received from the first wireless communication device is an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session request message transmitted as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) invite.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first communication device sends the communication session request message in response to discovering the second communication device via one of: (a) WiFi Direct, (b) Long Term Evolution (LTE) Direct, (c) Bluetooth and (d) another close range communication technology.

9. A data processing system (DPS) communicatively coupled to a first wireless communication device and operating as a first proximity services server within a controlling network and which includes: at least one processor; at least one memory system; and a group set-up utility which when executed on the at least one processor: receives from the first wireless communication device a communication request message indicating that at least one other wireless communication device is in close proximity with the first wireless communication device; establishes a P2P group which includes the first wireless communication device and at least one other wireless communication device, based on the close proximity between the wireless communication devices; identifies respective P2P IP addresses for the first wireless communication device and the at least one other wireless communication device within the established P2P group; instructs the first wireless communication device and the at least one other wireless communication device to communicate within the established P2P group using respective P2P IP addresses; and following receipt of a response indicating acceptance by a second wireless communication device of an instruction to communicate within the established P2P group using a corresponding P2P IP address, establishes the communication session, wherein the DPS establishes the P2P group by: transmitting from a controlling network to the first wireless communication device a first request for establishing the P2P group, wherein said first request contains information about operating parameters for the P2P group; receiving a response from the first wireless communication device that includes an identifier (ID) of a preferred wireless channel for the P2P group; transmitting to a second wireless communication device a second request containing (a) the information about the operating parameters and (b) the ID of the preferred wireless channel; designating a selected wireless communication device from the established P2P group as an access point for the P2P group; and wherein the P2P group is established using the operating parameters and the preferred wireless channel, wherein the DPS: retrieves from the communication request message an IP address of the first wireless communication device associated with the controlling network, wherein transmitting the first request for establishing the P2P group is triggered in response to receipt of the communication request message; checks the communication request message for inclusion of a pair of P2P IP addresses to assign to participants associated with the received communication request; and in response to the received communication request message not including the pair of P2P IP addresses, setting up the P2P group without enabling a P2P communication session.

10. The DPS of claim 9 , wherein the communication request message is a first-type communication request message for enabling the P2P communication session and wherein the DPS: in response to receipt of the first-type request message: sends, to the first wireless communication device, a first individual communication session request including a first assigned IP address and instructing the first wireless communication device to use the first assigned IP address for communicating within the P2P group; and sends, to the second wireless communication device, a second communication session request including a second assigned IP address and instructing the second wireless communication device to use the second assigned IP address for communicating within the P2P group; and following transmission of the individual communication requests: respectively enables individual communication sessions for the first and second wireless communication devices; and provides the communication session between the first and second wireless communication devices by linking the individual communication sessions.

11. The DPS of claim 9 , wherein the operating parameters include at least one of: (a) a close range communication technology to be used for the P2P group; (b) a P2P group identity; (c) P2P group security information; and (d) P2P IP address information for wireless communication devices that are included within the P2P group.

12. The DPS of claim 9 , wherein: the first wireless communication device is communicatively coupled to a first controlling network, the second wireless communication device is communicatively coupled to a second controlling network that is different from the first controlling network; and the DPS triggers an establishment of the P2P group and initiates the communication session by routing messages that are communicated between a first proximity services server in the first controlling network and the second wireless communication device via a second proximity services server in the second controlling network at which the second device is registered, wherein the second wireless communication device is triggered to initiate operation as a P2P client and search for a wireless communication device operating as the access point that supports the operating parameters, in order to enable a P2P communication session.

13. The DPS of claim 9 , wherein the communication request message is a first-type request message for enabling the P2P communication session, and the DPS: in response to receipt of the first-type request message, provides a response message that (a) notifies the first wireless communication device that the P2P communication session was not enabled and (b) instructs the first wireless communication device to submit a second communication request message that contains respectively assigned IP addresses associated with the established P2P group; and in response to subsequently receiving the second communication request message, enables said P2P communication session using the respectively assigned IP addresses.

14. The DPS of claim 9 , wherein the communication request message is a second-type request message requesting the P2P group be established, and the DPS: in response to receipt of the second-type request message: notifies said first wireless communication device that the P2P group has been established; and instructs the first wireless communication device to use an assigned first P2P IP address for P2P communication; in response to the P2P group being established, triggers the first wireless communication device to transmit a communication session request to the second wireless communication device that instructs the second wireless communication device to use an assigned second P2P IP address for P2P communication; and enables the communication session for the P2P group using the assigned first P2P IP address for the first wireless communication device and the assigned second P2P IP address for the second wireless communication device.